! 93 



LEPIDOPTERA IN KENSINGTON ROAD, 

 MIDDLESBROUGH, DURING THE YEARS 1898-1900. 



FRANK ELGEE, 



Middlesbrough. 



Kensington Road is situated opposite the main Linthorpe Road 

 entrance to the Albert Park, Middlesbrough, and runs due west 

 for several hundred yards. It consists of a single row of newly- 

 built houses, on the north side only. On the south side are 

 fields and market gardens, separated by Hawthorn hedges with 

 occasional Ash trees. These fields are enclosed from the road 

 by a long row of tarred palings, whilst higher up was a small 

 Hawthorn hedge (now destroyed), which overlooked towards 

 the north a fairly large open grass space, formerly called the 

 'Dandies,' but now built upon. Half-way up Kensington 

 Road, on the south side, is an old red-tiled farmstead (one of 

 the last bits of rustic Middlesbrough) named Old Gate, together 

 with an orchard containing a few Apple trees. On the east side 

 of the farm, within the 'fence' is a pond with an odd Willow 

 growing on the bank. A quarter-of-a-mile or less to the south 

 begins the extensive suburb of Linthorpe ; not a mile to the 

 north-west are the Newport Ironworks, whilst towards the west 

 is the Workhouse, etc., and in the south-west the open country. 

 Such is a brief description of the collecting-ground of the town 

 entomologist ! 



It will be noticed that to a certain extent the conditions were 

 favourable for the appearance of a few moths, but not to the 

 extent that was realised. I believe the idea of sugaring the 

 tarred palings and along the old hedge originated with Mr. 

 Sachse in the fine autumn of 1898, when lepidopterous insects 

 were very abundant. The operations were continued in 1899 

 with great success, and again in 1900. But by that time the 

 road had increased to such an extent, and, passers-by becoming 

 much more frequent, we were compelled to desist, with regret, 

 for, excepting the hedge, the 'fence' still stands and might 

 have produced other species. 



From the list given below it will be seen that a total of 81 

 species were observed, which I consider an excellent number for 

 such a locality. One of the species taken has only a few 

 localities recorded for it in Yorkshire, viz. : — Epunda lutulenta ; 

 this was perhaps the best capture. Aplecta occulta makes a good 

 second. 



1902 June 1. N 



